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Ober Gatlinburg’s Aerial Tram, the 407-foot-tall
Space Needle, and the iconic Sky Lift for those
who want to reach the summit and enjoy the
valley view; and white-water rafting and tubing
if you’re eager to get your feet wet. For a little
underwater action, head to Ripley’s Aquarium of the
Smokies and its walk-through underwater tunnel; I must
remind myself there’s a barrier between me and the 6-foot
shark circling overhead. Ripley’s saves the best experience for the
end: the Penguin Playhouse, where at feeding time, the little guys
waddle up, line up, and eat up at the fish toss.
PANCAKES ON THE PARKWAY
Nothing like water to make you hungry. The Parkway, the main
downtown thoroughfare, splits rows of shops offering everything from
candied apples to pancakes. You
simply can’t visit Gatlinburg without
having pancakes at one of its seven
houses, and of course, you’ll hear
everyone asking the same question:
Why so many? The most popular
legend goes back to logging days,
when keeping the hard-working men
full and satisfied for a day’s work was
paramount. If you sample just one
during your visit, make it Crockett’s
Breakfast Camp’s one-inch-thick
cake. Add a skillet full of sugar-cured
ham and fresh eggs, and well, you’re
full. Did I mention the cinnamon buns
are as big as your head?
And what’s the South without
barbecue? There’s none better than
Hungry Bear BBQ. Located in an
electric-blue house on the northern
end of the Parkway, Hungry Bear has
a pit smoking out back packed with
ribs, briskets, and sausages. The
pulled pork is tasty and lean, but the
rib sandwich (with their hot sauce, of
course) makes me order two to go.
There’s also the carnival food, as I like to call it. There are grab-
and-walk treats such as corn dogs, red candied apples, caramel
corn, and donuts. Donut Friar is glazed-donut perfection. For taffy,
stop at Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen, where the best taffy logs this side
of Atlantic City are handmade each day by the Dych family. You can
buy it by the piece; I buy it by the pound. The peanut butter pound.
SHOPPERS AND SHAKERS
If it’s shopping you fancy, you can find that here, too. From trinkets to
T-shirts to inspirational slogans, even an authentic Irish sweater shop,
store after store will send you into sensory
overload. Once I’ve window-shopped and pur-
chased a few souvenirs, I ride the trolley 3 miles
outside the city to Glades Road. Known as the
Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community, this
8-mile loop is home to more than 120 working artists,
including potters, photographers, and weavers. Today, I
visit with Robert Alewine at Alewine Pottery, where the maple
leaf has become his signature of 40 years of mastery at the wheel.
I have one more stop to make that combines the best of two
worlds: history and shopping. There’s nothing that will amaze you
quite like The Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum, where you can view
the world’s history in shaker form (over 20,000 pairs) and purchase
your own unique set.
I always leave Gatlinburg more content than when I arrived. I find
that with two options for a short drive-to trip, this is the one I come
back to, over and over again. Season after season. Even in the heat
of summer, Gatlinburg manages to engage my senses, invigorate my
soul, and replenish my spirit until I return to the mountains again.
Judy Garrison is a freelance writer and editor from Athens, Georgia. She is
the author of North Georgia Moonshine and blogs at seeingsouthern.com.
56 INTERVAL WORLD Spring 2016 IntervalWorld.com
Standout on-site amenities stay true to theme at the
sprawling Appalachia-inspired Westgate Smoky
Mountain Resort & Spa, from the Wild Bear Falls
retractable-roof water park to the Smoky Mountains
Ice Cream Shop.
Take Thee
to Tennessee
Make an etaway
a
09 .
The Getaway price is valid
June 1 through August 31, 2016.
Be prepared to loosen your
waistband at Crockett’s
Breakfast Camp, where your
meal comes in a cast-iron
skillet and the pancakes are
an inch thick.
AREA RESORTS
Judy Garrison
A pure sense of place envelops guests from their
very first glimpse of MountainLoft’s entrance on a
winding, tree-lined country road. On-site amenities
include a kids’ club, game room, massages, fitness
center, four outdoor hot tubs, and three pools.
Located 1 mile from Great Smoky Mountains
National Park and just over a mile from downtown
Gatlinburg, Laurel Point Resort is a well-situated
home away from home. On-site offerings include
Wi-Fi, a picnic pavilion with gas grills, an indoor pool,
hot tub, saunas, and exercise room.
To view all of the Gatlinburg-area resorts in Interval’s
network,